Sherlock Hound: The Boys on the Inside Prologue
by Rocket Racer
Summary: Prof. Moriarty has suddenly disappeared and Scotland Yard thinks that London is finally safe from crime. But, they were wrong. A new crime wave has broke out in London and it's up to Sherlock Hound and Dr. Watson to find outside help to solve it.
1. Moriarty Has Disappeared

Sherlock Hound: The Boys on the Inside (Prologue)

By: Rocket Racer

It was a very cool Spring night in London and it was a very good time for some citizens to go to a party, visit a museum, and even curl up with a good book. One citizen is a young man named Sherlock Hound. But he's no ordinary citizen in London, he is known as a great detective.  
He, along with his partner, Dr. Watson, lives in Baker Street with his housekeeper, Marie Hudson.  
They both have worked on many cases together with Scotland Yard and Inspector Lestrade. Most of the crimes that happened throughout London have been caused by the criminal mastermind known as Prof. James Moriarty, who today is once again driving away from them altogether with his car.  
The professor has two henchmen at his side. Smiley is tall, but not overly bright. George,  
or Todd as he's sometimes called, is tough, but not overly tall. The two have always been eager to help out their boss to get what he wants, although they much prefer getting what they want too, which is one reason why they hated being sidekicks. And here they were, riding along with the professor from Scotland Yard and Sherlock Hound.  
All three criminals came to a screeching halt when they reached a cliff down the mountains.  
The police along with the Inspector all came out and was ready to arrest them. Hound and Watson stayed inside their own car if there is any trick that the professor might do to get away.  
Inspector Lestrade was the first to speak. "It's over, Moriarty. There's nowhere else to go now!"  
"Hound!" said Dr. Watson. "Why don't we go out and arrest Moriarty now? This is our chance!"  
"Hang on, Watson." replied Sherlock Hound. "It appears as though Moriarty isn't through with his games yet."  
Scotland Yard was moving closer to Moriarty as Lestrade said, "Give yourself up, Professor.  
Once we bring you to justice, there will be no more crime in London and we'll be better off without you."  
"Me?" asked the Professor smiling. Then, he started to howl with laughter which makes everyone, even his two henchmen confused.  
"Uh, Professor?" asked Smiley. "What's so funny? The Inspector is serious."  
"He's right." said George. "We're all going to go to prison since there's no way out for us."  
Then, Moriarty ordered, "Take the car and get out of here, men. I'll handle this myself."  
"But, Professor!" exclaimed Smiley.  
"DO IT!"  
"Y-Y-Yes, sir!" said George. They both got into the car and drove away from the cliff.  
"Now then, where were we?" Moriarty thought out loud. "Oh, yes! You really think that if I'm gone, then all of London will be safe from crime? Well, let me tell you something, Lestrade:  
Crime never sleeps in this world, you know. And I'm beginning to think that I'm always the one doing the dirty work in London. So, I have decided that instead of turning myself in, I could take a leave of absence for a while. That way, other criminals and masterminds can easily get their chance to shine. What do you think of that, hmmm?"  
While Scotland Yard thought it was a good idea, Lestrade refused. "Moriarty, you're kidding yourself if you think we are going to let you get away again!"  
"I'm sorry, Lestrade." replied Moriarty. "But, I'm afraid I have no choice." He started to move backwards, close to the ledge of the cliff.  
Sherlock Hound and Dr. Watson were watching him closely and now were beginning to move up to him. Hound said to the Professor, "You really sure you want to go with this, Moriarty?"  
"I'm afraid my mind is made, Hound." said Moriarty taking another step back. "I bid you all a very fond farewell." After a few moments of silence, Moriarty said only one thing:  
"Goodbye." He jumped off the cliff and was beginning to cackle as he fell down the deep dark shadows down below.  
Lestrade was awfully surprised, so was the rest of the Scotland Yard and the crime-solving duo. "Check down there, men! Make sure he doesn't escape!"  
"Yes, sir!" replied the Scotland Yard and they all started heading down to the bottom of the mountain. Once they got there, they found...nothing.  
"No one could've survived a fall like that." said one officer. The rest of the Scotland Yard agreed and were starting to wonder where the Professor has gone.  
Then, Sherlock said to Watson, "If you ask me, Watson. I think he's serious about leaving his life of crime for a while."  
"But, where could he have gone?" asked the Doctor.  
"THAT is what he wants to keep secret from London. I don't think we'll able to see him again for a while."


	2. One Week Later

The memory of that night started to fade in Sherlock Hound's mind as he tests out a few chemicals in his lab. "I wonder what crime will be like in London now that Moriarty isn't here to commit any of them for a while." Then, there was a knock on his door. "Yes, what is it?"  
"It's time for breakfast, Mr. Hound." The voice came from Marie Hudson, his housekeeper and loyal friend.  
"Alright, Mrs. Hudson. Just give me another moment to finish this."  
Meanwhile, Dr. Watson downstairs was taking a look at the morning paper, while eating a bit of egg and croissant. "Hmph. Mr. Hound is always doing something that'll spoil his meal.  
His food's going to get cold by the time he gets down."  
"Don't worry about him." said Mrs. Hudson. "He'll be here before you know it."  
"I hope so, Mrs. Hudson." Then, a noise of rushing footsteps came down from the stairs.  
It was Sherlock Hound and he was fixing his collars on his shirt. "Good day, Doctor. You too, Mrs. Hudson."  
"Good Morning, Mr. Hound." greeted Mrs. Hudson.  
"Fine time to get here, Hound." said Dr. Watson. "Your food was getting a little chilly."  
"Come, dear Doctor." replied Hound. "It can't be that bad." Once he got to the table,  
Watson noticed that he was thinking about something while eating a bit of a croissant.  
Watson put his newspaper aside. "Still thinking about Moriarty?" Hound didn't answer.  
"Well, I'm sure Scotland Yard will find him. Usually, they live up to their motto."  
"Sure." said Hound. "But without Moriarty, I wonder how things will be now."  
"Maybe not as and dangerous and devious as the Professor. Barely anyone can match up to his potential."  
Suddenly, a slight wind breezed in from an open window and turned one newspaper page over. Mrs. Hudson caught sight of what was on the page that was seen. "Hmm? What's this?" She picked up the newspaper and looked at the aritcle. Her eyes soon grew wide up and she gasped slightly. "Gentlemen!"  
Hound and Watson stopped eating and looked up. "Hmmm?"  
"Come, you've got to see this!"  
"What is it?" asked Dr. Watson and he lightly grabbed the right side of the newspaper and read the article. "What?"  
Hound looked at the article too. "Hmmm. This is just what I feared." The article read,  
"New Crime Wave Baffles Scotland Yard! Four Crimes Strike Fear In The Hearts of London!"  
"But, how can that be?" asked Dr. watson "Professor Moriarty isn't here!"  
"Maybe so, Watson. But that doesn't mean he's the only criminal in London. Certainly there are others who are willing to commit a few as well." Hound puffed his pipe a bit. "So... the days of crime without Moriarty have begun."


	3. It's Time for a Change

Scotland Yard HQ 9:30 a.m.  
"This is IMPOSSIBLE!" Inspector Lestrade slammed his hand on his desk. "These new crimes all happened on the same day, the same time, without the same suspect."  
After a little puff from his pipe, Hound said, "Well, Moriarty was right in saying that crime isn't through when he's gone for a while."  
"Hmph. So, what if it isn't Moriarty this time? Scotland Yard always finds their man!"  
Both Hound and Watson looked at him strangely. "Are you really sure about that, Inspector?" asked Watson.  
"Of course I'm sure! What makes you think not?!" The crime-solving duo both had one eyebrow raised, their eyes half-closed looking amused and pointing out the window. The Inspector looked out and his eyes lit up and shrugged on what he saw: the policemen of Scotland Yard all causing havoc around London while searching for clues.

While searching on the ground, some bumped into each other and others got flattened by the incoming horse carriages. While searching from above, some fell from the ladder and pulled another policeman's pants down just for support. Others who climbed up the other ladder accidentally fell into windows that led into the rooms where some women were changing. Luckily since you couldn't see them, you can hear them slapping the policemen and kicking them out the window and into the outdoor market down below.  
The Inspector then shrugged and was growing hot with embarassment. "O-O-kay, we're still looking for our man."  
Sherlock Hound sighed, "I now think that with Moriarty gone for a while, I believe it's also time for a little change in our investigations."  
"What do you mean, Hound?" asked Dr. Watson.  
"I mean we need to get some outside assistance." Both Watson and Lestrade had their eyes wide open when they heard this. "WHAT?!"  
"Hound, you can't be serious!" said Lestrade. "There's barely anyone here in London who knows how to do detective work just like you!"  
"That's the point, my dear Lestrade." said Hound. "If there is anyone here in London who would be interested in helping us, then they will be the ones who would solve these crimes."  
Lestrade seemed a little unsure, Scotland Yard never requested any outside help before. "Are you sure you want to go on with this, Hound?"  
Hound nodded his head in response. "I'm sure, Inspector." He then turned to his partner.  
"Watson, we must start searching now. We got no time to lose."  
"Y-Yes, Hound." Watson quickly replied. And with that, they both went out the door.  
While sitting at his desk, Lestrade thought, "I sure hope Hound knows what he's doing."


	4. Magic in the Mystery

9:35 a.m.  
Hound and Watson were driving around London to search for anyone who might be able to help them solve the new crime wave that had just erupted after Moriarty's disappearance. They started off at the town square and immediately got out of the car. Watson was the first to speak.  
"Hound, how exactly will we know on who is suitable for each case?"  
"Elementary, my dear Watson." replied the great detective. "Each of the crimes that Scotland Yard is trying to solve requires someone with a particular talent. Though that gift may be ordinary, that person can find a way to use it to his or her advantage." Suddenly, he stopped and puffed his pipe a bit. "And I believe we have just found our first recruit."  
Watson stopped too and started to look around. "What? Already? Uh-wh-where is he?"  
"He's just over there." Watson's eyes followed where Hound was pointing at and was surprised to see who it was. It was a paperboy, about 15 years old, wearing a black wool jacket and pants, brown shoes, and a blue cap on his head.

"Him?" Watson looked a little confused. "But he's just a paperboy, and he's very young too."  
"Don't underestimate him, my dear Watson." said Hound. "He has something special that barely anyone his age can have." He immediately started walking to the boy with a curious Watson following behind.  
The paperboy had his newspapers all bundled up in his wagon and kept exclaiming the headlines that was on the front page. "Extra! Extra! Read all about it! New Crime Wave Baffles Scotland Yard! Moriarty Disappeared! Read all about it!" He then stopped when he heard another voice.

"Excuse me, my dear boy." The paperboy turned to see Sherlock Hound and Dr. Watson walking to him.  
"Oh! Good day, Governor. Interested in looking into today's issue?"  
"Well, yes." said Dr. Watson giving a coin to the boy.  
Sherlock Hound then said, "Do the front page headlines ever intrigue you?"  
"Why yes, Governor." answered the boy. "Every headline that I hand out over the years always bring me to my attention. Who could never be excited about a front page story?"  
Sherlock Hound then looked over at the boy's wagon. "Hmmmmm. What's with the wagon?"  
"Oh, you know, just to lighten the load and making sure that nothing gets blown away."  
"But there's not a cloud in the sky and there's barely any wind blowing in today."  
The boy shrugged a bit. "Well, yes. But still, it's my duty as a paperboy to make sure that London is informed on what's happening right now and I don't want anything to get lost."  
"Is that so?" Sherlock Hound had one eyebrow raised and knew that there is something in the boy that he doesn't want to show. "Watson, can I look in the paper?"  
"Uh sure, Hound." replied Watson and gave it to him.  
Sherlock Hound then tossed the paper into the air and it began to fly off. This alarmed the paperboy greatly.  
"Hey, hold on!" The boy immediately raised his hand up to the pages of the flying newspaper and he did something totally unimaginable: the pages suddenly stopped. And once the boy motioned his fingers to come forward, the pages did the same and slowly went to his hand. The boy felt happy that he got the newspaper back, but his eyes suddenly grew open, for he realized he just did it right in front of the two men. Dr. Watson's jaw was dropped open, while Sherlock Hound's eyebrow was raised up and had a clever smile.  
"So..." began the great detective. "Is there something you want to tell us, Mr. Oswald Fields?"  
The paperboy was shocked in seeing that the man in the red detective's cap knew his real name. "Wow...I-I guess this means that you really ARE Sherlock Hound."  
"So, you've heard of me. And I've heard a little about you too. You have been a paperboy since you were 12, but suddenly, you took an interest in magic."  
"That's right. I was amazed by how magicians can create a world of illusion either inside a theater or outside at a party. They can blind the eyes of the audience into thinking that what they do is real..." Oswald then began to roll up a newspaper, tie it up, and put his hand over it. Once he let go, the rolled up paper levitated right in front of the crime-solving duo. "So, I secretly studied up on some of their works, and I even tried to take it up to the next level." He then started to turn the newspaper in different directions and put his arms together into a hoop and let the newspaper go through it. "I even worked up a few concoctions to make my magic seem more captivating." Finally, he started to make the newspaper drift off into the hands of Dr. Watson.  
"Concoctions, you say?" asked Hound. "But, that's a scientific term. How would you tie that in with your magic?"  
"Well, magicians are like scientists. Before they start on their experiment, they need to use a few supplies that might help them out. Then, they start to experiment and test their hypothesis with a few of those things that they picked out. Once they draw up their conclusions, or completed their trick in this case, they will be able to show others what they discovered. For me, I'm very excellent in physics, chemistry, forensics, you name it. I can probably do any kind of field of science there is."  
"I say, that is a very good explanation." said the Doctor. "You are quite young, but you are very masterful."  
"Thanks, Doctor."  
"So, Ozzy" said Hound. "If you really are that good in being a magician..."  
"Illusionist actually."  
"Right, illusionist. If you really are good in doing those sort of things, why can't you show the world on what you can do?"  
"Well, I don't really know. Sometimes, I think that magicians are there just to show people something extraordinary, but I don't know if they could be of any use to others whatsoever."  
"Hmmm. What if we offer you a chance to use that magic to your advantage?"  
"Me? Why would you, the greatest detective in London, hire an illusionist disguised as an ordinary paperboy?"  
"Well, let me try to support that with another question. When a detective picks up a new case to solve when reading a newspaper, why can't he put it down if it took too long to read?"  
"I-I don't know. Why?"  
"Because there's magic in a mystery, Mr. Fields. You see, criminals can be a lot like magicians too. They too can keep secrets on how their trick are being done. When Scotland Yard investigates a crime, the crime will be considered a show starring the culprits who done it and the scene will be considered their stage. The police and detectives act out as the audience who are trying to figure out those secrets. Once they do, they will be able to bring the culprits to justice and use that kind of knowledge in the future."  
Ozzy thought for a moment and said, "You know, I haven't really thought about it like that."  
Sherlock Hound reached into his jacket pocket and said, "Ozzy, if you ever think about helping me along with Scotland Yard, take this." He gave the the boy a card that had Hound's address and telephone number.  
"Thanks, Mr. Hound." said Ozzy, and the crime-solving duo went off, leaving the illusionist of a paperboy deep in thought of joining Sherlock Hound.


	5. Chain of Memories

9:45 a.m.  
Both Sherlock Hound and Dr. watson continued down the street. After a long period of silence, Hound spoke up.  
"You see, Watson? Even though that paperboy looked ordinary, he had something special that we didn't even expect from him. A boy with a knowledge of both science and magic can be quite useful."  
"Well, yes." replied Watson. "But the boy didn't look very interested in helping us."  
"Don't worry, Watson. Time will tell if he will come to our aide, and so we must continue in our search."  
"Yes, I suppose you are right." Watson put his hands in his pockets, but then something didn't seem right. He ruffled in his left pocket some more, but he couldn't find a thing.

"What? I don't understand. I thought for sure that I had ten coins in my pocket."  
"Well, no sign of any holes." Then, something caught Sherlock Hound's keen eye: a figure started to run from Watson's backside to the alley down the road. The figure was a teenaged boy wearing clothes that were old and worn. Hound could see that he is poor. He quickly caught the boy by his right jacket shoulder before turning the corner.  
"Hey, governor! Not so hard!" screamed the boy in rage. "I got a slight bruise there!"  
"Sorry." Hound apologized. "But I believe that it was unnecessary for you to pickpocket someone else's tax payment."  
The boy crossed him arms and scowled. "Hmph, whatever."  
"Dear boy, you know that wasn't a very nice thing to do. Many people who have done the same thing hurted many others while trying to satisfy themselves."  
"Well, why should I care about those people. I've been hurt more than they have."  
Hound could see in the boy's raging eyes that he felt pain deep inside himself. "Well my dear boy, I want to know exactly how the people have hurted you."  
The boy shot a glare at him. "Will you stop calling me "boy?" It's "Boyle!"  
Hound looked at the boy with a confused look on his face. "I'm sorry, what?"  
"I said, it's "Boyle!" Finley Boyle! And I for one am not a young boy, I'm a young man!"  
"16 1/2 years of age?"  
"Well, yes! I am....wait what?" Finley looked at the detective quite strange. "H-How did you know I was that old?"  
"Simple. Usually, children who are over their pre-teened years tend to be rebellious over what what their parents have taught them and desire to go off on their own. You are close to adult stature but a little below 20 years of age, plus you are at least 3 inches under the normal height of a 17 year old. So, you are 16 1/2."  
Finley was surprised indeed. "Hmmm. I could see that you really are a detective."  
"Of course, and I believe I should introduce myself if you don't know me yet. My name is Hound, Sherlock Hound. And the man whom you chose to pickpocket is my partner, Dr. Watson."  
"How do you do?" greeted the Doctor as he tried to reach in to get back his money. But Hound slapped his hand in saying not yet, which made the Doctor quite mad.  
"Alright, Finley, now that that's settled why don't you tell us about your past?"  
Finley felt a little uneasy. "Well, you can say it was pretty harsh to begin with."  
"Don't worry, you can tell us." And so Finley started from the very beginning of what he considered his most dreadful past.  
"You see, my father divorced my mother when I was very little, so I barely have anymemory have any memory of him. Since we didn't have much money, I couldn't go to school, but my mother taught me very well on how to read and write when I was only 2. But when I got older, I suddenly aquired a gift that even suprised my mother."  
"What kind of gift is that?" asked Dr. Watson.  
Finley smiled as he said these two words: "Photographic Memory."  
Hound raised one eyebrow and asked, "You can actually remember things that you've saw only once?"  
"Not just see things, but also hearing, touching, smelling, and even tasting things."  
"Can you tell me one thing you can remember in particular? Such as history?"  
"Sure, Mr. Hound. London was once known as Londinium, and was established as a civilian town by the Romans about seven years after the invasion of AD 43. Early Roman London occupied a relatively small area, but after it was destroyed once, the city was quickly rebuilt as a planned Roman town and recovered after perhaps 10 years.  
1086- William the Conqueror commissioned all his counselors for the creation of the Domesday Book, which was a survey of England's productive capacity during the war with the Saxons.  
October 17, 1781- General Cornwallis has declared surrender to the Allies after the battle in Yorktown intensified. According to legend, while the British Army were declared prisoners of war, they had played an old folk tune which is one of my personal favorites, "The World Turned Upside Down."

"Hmmmmm." Hound was taking a a liking into such a boy who can remember so well. "That is quite impressive."  
"Yeah, and I can even do jelly beans! Wanna hear it?"  
"What? Um, well, I, uh, um....." Hound was beginning to stumble over his words because Finley was going a little too ahead of himself.  
"OK! Here it goes: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Modified Food Starch, Dextrose, Pectin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, ConfectionerÕs Glaze, Carnauba Wax, Beeswax, Mineral Oil, Cocoa Powder, Cocoa Liquor, Natural and Artificial Flavors and Colors." Finley sighed with relief that he did it all in one breath. NOW, Hound was amazed on how Finley can remember other things like ingredients for candy! "Can I go on?"  
"NO!"  
"Oh! Uh, heheh. Sorry about that."  
Hound chuckled a bit and said, "It's alright. You certainly are a remarkable boy."  
"Thanks, Mr. Hound. I guess my photographic memory is the reason why I can't stop loving books. Everyday, I would either sit in my house or the library and just fill up my head with their contents."  
"I say," said Dr. Watson. "With a mind like that, you could do very well in school."  
"Huh, that's what my mother said. But I never did have a chance to go to one."  
"Why's that?" asked Hound puffing his pipe.

Finley took a deep sigh and told the two the rest of his past. "Well, when I was only 13 years old, my mother became ill and the doctors are saying that she is not going to last much longer. Just before she passed away, she gave me this." Finley reached into his jacket pocket and took out a small bag of coins. "She told me that if I saved up a little more, I could probably get to college when I get older. I have kept her word ever since our house was sold I ended up broke and alone. But the outside world wasn't as enjoyable as everyone said. I started going off and asked people if they can lend me some money or at least something to eat that will help me survive, but I always get the same treatment from every person that has passed me by: a look of disgust, a spit in the face, and a hard push against the wall to leave me in my pain. It's their way of saying "no", and they always say that nothing good can come out of orphans and streetrats. They are just nothing but filthy garbage that are meant to be thrown away and forgotten. And so....I decided that I would prove them right. I began to go all out on London: breaking windows, attacking civilians in the streets, and even stealing to survive. Yup, that's my life, it's sad, but true."

Both Hound and Watson felt bad for Finley, and the boy looked up at them. "But then you two came along and you didn't act like the others who were unkind and ruthless."  
Hound took his pipe out of his mouth and smiled. "That's because others didn't know what you were going through, Finley. They didn't want to waste their time on someone who they think is unimportant. But for us, we know how it's like to lose a loved one and you are no different. So, we want to give you a chance."  
"What do you mean?" asked Finley. Sherlock Hound reached into his pocket and took out another card similar to the one he gave Ozzy Fields.  
"Here, take this. If you ever think of helping us out or if you just want to have a bite to eat, just come over to my place on Baker Street."  
"You mean the one that's a left past the museum, a right past Scotland Yard, and forward 'til there is that smell of old pipe smoke and chemicals."  
"Yes, that's the one." The crime-solving duo got up and were already on their way to their car. "Let us know, alright? Good day, Finley Boyle."  
"Good day. Dr. Watson, don't forget this." Finley gave the ten coins back to the doctor.  
"Thank you so much, dear boy." Watson replied. As the two both walked off, Finley looked at his card and was already thinking about whether or not he should join Sherlock Hound.


	6. The Caretaker

10:00 a.m.  
Sherlock Hound and Dr. Watson got to their car and Hound started up the engine so they could get moving. While driving, Hound was going deep into his thoughts on the two boys that he and Watson just met recently.  
"A boy who has a knowledge of magic and science and a boy who has a good memory. Hmmmm, we're getting pretty good so far." But Hound's train of thought slowly came to a stop when he heard Dr. Watson starting to yawn.  
"Hound, I'm getting pretty bored on trying to look for recruits. How about we take a break for a while?"  
"Sure thing, my dear Watson. Do you want to take a little walk at the National Gallery?"  
"I sure would, Hound. Let's get going." Without hesitation, Hound changed his course from Baker Street to the local art gallery about two blocks from the headquarters of Scotland Yard. Once the two got to the place, they immediately stepped inside and saw that were a lot of people silently admiring the remarkable works of art that has been made in many different countries around the world.

One of the first paintings that the two admired the most was the famous Mona Lisa. In his mind, Sherlock Hound can remember that once, he and Watson had to steal it in order to get Mrs. Hudson back after she was kidnapped by Prof. Moriarty and his goons. While in disguise, Watson released a pack of mice and it frightened the people so much that they didn't see that the painting was gone! When Hound, Watson, and Moriarty met up to make the exchange, the crafty professor called Scotland Yard to arrest the two, but he later realized that he'd been tricked. You see, Hound was able to fool Moriarty by getting a copy of the painting and cover the original with a piece of paper that was the same color as the wall. With that, Moriarty has been foiledagain and Mrs. Hudson is safe and sound.  
The next three paintings that they liked came from a previous case regarding the disappearance of three young art students and a collection of stolen reproductions. It turns out Moriarty has forced the three to work on a few fake reproductions and a phony landscape in order to get some easy cash. At the same time, he stole a few paintings and replaced them with those copies that in order to avoid suspicion from Inspector Lestrade. Unknown to Moriarty, the landscape that the students had done was actually a cryptograph that revealed where they were being held.  
Thanks to that, Hound, Watson, and Scotland Yard were able to rescue them and get back the original works of art.

Dr. Watson let out a sigh of relief and said to Hound, "It's good that these paintings are safe where they belong, don't you think so?"  
"Why of course, dear Watson." replied Hound taking his pipe out of his mouth. "I'm glad that we were able to help out in these kinds of situations."  
"Plus, with Moriarty gone, there's no need to worry about any of these masterpieces being stolen again."  
"Right you are, Watson. I've been hearing that the gallery has been tightening up their security lately, so..." Suddenly a mysterious figure swooshed past them and made quite a breeze that Watson's hat flew off and fell a few inches close to the wall.  
"Oh, confound it." Watson muttered to himself as he quickly ran to get back his hat, but then, something strange happened to him. Once he took the second step across the floor, he suddenly slipped and slid across the floor to bump into the wall that shook the overhead painting so much that it was going to get him "framed." Luckily, Hound got in just in time to hold the painting back up and helped Watson get back up.  
"Careful there, Watson." said Hound as he saw the overhead lights reflect over the wet stains on the floor. "It seems as though someone or something came through here and made this mess."  
"But how can someone leave wet tracks without alarming the security?" asked Watson rubbing his back since that's where he mostly fell on.  
"THAT my dear Watson is what we're going to find out." Without hesitation, the two went on into following the wet stains on the floor. It seems as though the stains left other civilians with their bottoms on the floor and a few masterpieces nearly fell to the floor. They soon came across the stairs and surprisingly,they can see that the stains went into different directions on each step.  
"My word! This is impossible!"  
"Nothing is impossible for this one, Watson." Hound then saw that the stains trailed around the corner and he suddenly came to a pause for thought. "Hmmmmm. I wonder..... Watson, we have to head back downstairs."  
"Huh, why?"  
"I'll show you. There is a reason why there are wet stains all around the gallery and  
I don't think they were meant to harm anybody."  
"How can you say that? I nearly got a mild concusion after I slipped."  
"Just watch." Once they got back to where they were, Hound took his pipe out of his mouth and tilted it over a bit to sprinkle a little tobacco on the floor which was now dry. He turned Watson around so he too can look at the painting without looking suspicious and they both waited. Just as Hound expected, the figure came by making a trail of wet stains again, but he suddenly stopped when he saw the pieces of tobacco and started mopping. The two turned around and saw that the wet-marking speedster was a boy about 15 years old wearing overalls,  
a green shirt and cap, and brown boots. He also had what looked like mops tied under his boots.

The crime-solving duo could hear the boy muttering to himself. "Great. Just great. Don't these people know I have to clean up this whole place every single..." He suddenly stopped when he saw both Hound and Watson standing next to him and that there was a pipe in the detective's mouth. "Wh-What? Put that pipe in your pocket!"  
"Sorry," said Hound already executing his command. "I must have spilled a few after slipping on the wet mess you have made here."  
"Sorry 'bout that, but that's my job. I have to keep this place clean at all costs and not have a single track of dirt, dust, or tobacco in this case left untouched in this gallery. By the way, me name's Leopold Hutchins. I'm the caretaker of the National Gallery, so try not to mess up the place!"  
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hutchins. My name is Sherlock Hound and this is Dr. Watson."  
"How do you do?" greeted Watson, even though his bottom still hurts.  
"So, you're the team of crime solvers that everyone's talking about." replied Leopold as he started wiping his head from the hard work. "I've been hearing that you two once stopped Moriarty by keeping the Mona Lisa safe and by recovering the stolen reproductions. Well, we haven't had this much business since then."  
"Well, we're glad to be of service, dear boy." said Watson tipping his hat.

Hound then noticed something quite odd. "I say, Leopold. That's a very fancy mop you got there." For Leopold's mop wasn't made of wood, it was metallic. Plus, the sponge part looked round like a ball.  
Leopold answered, "Yeah, I invented it myself."  
The detective had one eyebrow raised an stared at him, "YOU invented it?"  
"Uh-huh." Leopold nodded his head. "Even though I'm a caretaker, I'm really good at inventing things, and I even have a knowledge of some of the greatest inventors of all time such as Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and even the Wright Brothers."  
"Does that mop actually work?" asked Watson.  
"Why, of course! Here, I'll show you." Leopold mopped up the last scrap of tobacco and lifted up his mop over the bucket. He then did something quite unexpected: he grabbed the covering of the bottom part of the pole and started pulling it, making the sponge look more like a stick.  
Then, he started twisting it and it made the water come out and pour into the bucket. Watson was quite amazed, so was Sherlock Hound. "I've designed the fabric to hold up at least 40 oz. of water, so I can make this gallery twice as clean as the authorities wanted. Trouble is I have a tendency to rush while working and I often spill a few drops."  
"Yes," said Hound. "I heard a few moaning complaints about your work around here."  
Watson then asked, "Wait, if you were able to do so much around the gallery, how were you able to climb up the stairs without slipping?"  
Leopold smiled and replied, "Ah, that part I thought about myself." He brought them over to the stairs. "Alright, now watch." Once again, he pulled up the sponge into its stick-like form and he bounced it a little to show its elasticity. Then, he grabbed both sides of the mop and pulled the steps apart so he could both of his boots onto them. With that, he immediately bounced up the stairs like a pogo stick and sponged up every dusty part that's there.  
Once he got off, Hound said, "I say, Leo. That's very good. Do you invent other things to help you around the gallery?"  
"Well sure, Mr. Hound." Leo answered. "There were a lot of improvements that I made with a few simple household tools. A few of my favorites are the extension duster, the fireproof dust-attracting broom, and of course, the Swiss Army Screwdriver."  
Watson commented, "Well, you could do the community a great service with those kinds of things."  
"Yeah, you could say that. But I have to be the caretaker of the National Gallery because my Dad did it and his Dad before him."  
"Have you ever took any breaks to come home to your family?" Hound asked curiously.  
"You look like you have been working for so long."  
"Yeah, but this gallery is my home."  
"Sounds kind of lonely." said Watson before getting shushed by Hound.  
"Look, if you don't mind I have a job to do, and I'm gonna get meself a bowl of chili. Now, leave me alone."  
Leo turned to leave, but he felt his shoulder being tugged by Sherlock Hound. "Hang on for a moment, Leo." He gave the technician of a caretaker the same card as before. "If you're interested in helping us out, you can come to our place. It will surely be a delight."  
"Thanks, Mr. Hound." As the two turned to leave, Leo looked down at his card. Maybe joining Sherlock Hound can give off a better benefit for London than the job he's doing right now.


	7. Disguise the Limit

10:10 a.m.  
After a few slick maneuvers to avoid the other wet stains on the floor, Sherlock Hound and Dr. Watson finally got out of the gallery and were on their way back to the car. But as soon as they went down the first few steps, an officer from Scotland Yard fell from his ladder and landed on another officer searching the grounds.  
"Ohhhh, yes. They're still searching around." said Hound quite amused.  
"Can't they just take a break?" asked an amused Watson. "They are totally making themselves look like complete idiots."  
"Seriously." But then something caught Hound's eye at one of the buildings at the corner.  
"Hmmm?" It might have been his imagination or one of the officers looked a little bit shorter than the rest of his group that he's with. The officer looked more like a 16-year old boy looking for clues next to the ladder with his magnifying glass. Then, he stopped to check if anyone was looking and he immediately raised up his magnifying glass in order to get in some sunlight. Once that was accomplished, he aimed the sunlight at the step where an officer was standing in the ladder. The heat of the sunlight cutted through the wooden step and the officer fell through it and caused a chain reaction with the other officers below. The boy also aimed the heat at another officer's pants from behind and it soon caught on fire! Luckily, the poor guy was able to break through the fire hydrant, which also blasted the other officers all across the market. The boy had a mischievous smile as he put his magnifying glass back into his pocket.  
Sherlock Hound had his suspicions on the boy. "You're a little too short and crafty to be an officer of Scotland Yard."  
"I say," began Watson. "How was that boy able to blend in with Scotland Yard if he's not officially in?"  
"That, my dear Watson, is what we're going to find out. Come on!" The two immediately went to confront the boy.

Hound was the first to speak. "Excuse me, dear boy."  
The boy turned around and saw the crime-solving duo standing right behind him. "Oh! Good day, Sherlock. What brings you here?" His voice sounded gruff, but Hound knew he was playing with him.  
"We want to ask you the same question."  
The boy looked at them strangely as if they were nuts. "Me? Why, the same as the rest of these officers: Helping out the London community in order to keep them safe from any harm."  
Watson looked into his eyes and protested, "But, you've been causing harm to the other officers and making them look foolish."  
The boy smiled mischievously as he replied, "Well, it's just my way of saying that Scotland Yard has done a lot worse than it has been these past few days. I mean, have you ever seen those guys when they're investigating? All they do is cause more ruckus than finding evidence."  
"So, in other words, you don't really trust Scotland Yard that much anymore." said Watson.  
The boy nodded in agreement. "And besides, London needs more private detectives like you two gentlemen. I've read a lot about you in the daily papers. You're smart, you're fast, you can even solve some of the most toughest situations there are."  
Sherlock Hound took out his pipe and said, "Well, thanks for the compliment, but don't you think others would agree with you on that?"  
The boy thought for a moment and said, "Yes and no. Yes, because there have been complaints spreading across London lately. Some about the stolen bell from Big Ben, others about the gold bullion, and so on. And of course no, because without law enforcers, we as citizens are completely  
helpless against the unknown dangers that can lurk around every corner."  
"I see your point there. Well, let's see what the Inspector thinks about both your actions and opinions.  
At once the boy started to break a sweat. "Yeah, but I think he's already too busy with his duties."  
"Then, we'll just have to turn you in ourselves." said Watson.  
The boy immediately raised up his hands as if surrendering. "Hey, hey, come on, gentleman. I was just pulling your legs. Sure, I'll come with you to the station...in a moment." He started to have a mischievous smile on his face.  
Both Watson and Hound looked confused. "Why exactly are you smiling?" asked Watson.  
Suddenly, he started to smell something smoky, but it wasn't a fire. Then, it starting to brighten up for some reason. It was then that he started to see that the boy's police badge on his hat was reflecting the sunlight down to his magnifying glass into Sherlock Hound's pipe! The tobacco  
inside exploded and the crime-solving duo was left coughing in the smoke. When it finally cleared out, they both saw the boy running out into the streets.  
"Come, my dear Watson!" exclaimed Hound. "We shouldn't let him get away!"

The first place that boy trailed off at was the docks and the two just saw him cross the corner before disappearing. the two turned the corner as well, only to find that the boy was nowhere to be found, just a few sailors, boxes of cargo, and of course, sailing ships.  
"Hmmm, that boy is slippier than I thought." Sherlock Hound thought in his mind.  
Watson came over to talk with one of the sailors there. "Excuse me, sir."  
The sailor turned around, and he looked a little strange. "What is it?" he asked in a gruff voice.  
"Uh, have you seen a policeman running around here?"  
"Sorry, I was still below deck before you came along. But, if I had a good guess, try the local outdoor market across town."  
"OK, thanks for the help."  
"Anytime." He winked at Hound's helper before returning back to the detective.  
"Any luck?" Hound asked.  
"Well, the sailor over there says that he could be heading to the outdoor market close by."  
"Let's get on our way then." Meanwhile, Hound looked over at the sailor whom Watson was talking too. He was suddenly getting a weird feeling about him, but that didn't matter. What matters now is that they have to catch up with the boy.  
The market was very crowded on their arrival and it could be hard to tell where the boy can be hiding. To try to make the search easier, Hound headed to the fruit and vegetable row, while Watson headed to the dairy and grain row. The detective soon saw the clerk already checking any of the oranges if they're rotten or too ripe.  
"Excuse me, sir."  
"Yes, what is it?" the clerk asked in a Southern London accent. Somehow, the clerk looked a little more strange than that gruff sailor.  
Sherlock Hound had one eyebrow raised in confusion. "Uhhh, I'm looking for a policeman who was actually a little short in stature. Have you seen anyone?"  
"Yeah, I did. He talked to me a little bit about you and the chubby one following him here. If you're really that desperate, you better head him off at that building two blocks away from the National Gallery."  
Hound was quite shocked by the clerk's response. "Scotland Yard Headquarters?"  
"Whatever, probably going back to his job. Look, I got a lot of work to do. Good luck finding that guy." The clerk walked away and got to the vegetable section, leaving the detective quite confused.  
"There sure are some crazy characters here in London." He called to Watson and said,  
"Come, we must head to Scotland Yard. I have a feeling we'll find our friend there."

While they were running to get to the station, Watson asked, "I don't get it, Hound. Why does only one person see the boy but not anyone else? There were a lot of people at both the docks and the market."  
Hound responded, "Yes, I consider it quite unusual. Only one witness in each location....."  
Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Wait a minute! I think I have a good idea why. C'mon Watson, we must hurry before he runs loose again!" The two finally made it to the headquarters and just as Hound suspected, the cops never saw the boy, but they had a hard grudge against him. Then,  
he started to hear something quite strange from the left side. Both he and Watson headed over and found a young teenaged boy lying on a bench, playing a strange instrument.  
"Excuse me." asked Watson.  
"Hm?" The boy opened his eyes and saw the crime-solving duo standing before him.  
"Sorry to bother you," Hound began. "but we're wondering what you were playing."  
"This?" The boy held up his instrument that sort of looked like a triangular-shaped violin. "This is a bowed psaltery."  
Hound took out his pipe. "A bowed psaltery? Like the instrument from Germany?"  
"That's right. See, I can play this like a violin using a bow." The bow looked more like a smaller kind an archer uses. "Watch." And right away, the boy started to play a little bit of Pachelbel's Serenade. The music was very soothing that it seemed as though the whole world was standing still as it listens to what the boy is playing.  
Once he finished, Watson commented, "I say, that is really good!"  
"Thanks, governor."  
"By the way, we wanted to ask you if you've seen a boy police officer coming around here."  
"None that I could think of but the crackheads at Scotland Yard. Besides, how would you feel if you are trying to protect your country when you're only wrecking it little by little."  
"Well, I guess he doesn't know anything. Let's go, Hound." Watson was about to leave, but was stopped by the detective.

"Hang on, Watson." He turned back to the boy. "Say, I want to ask how the weather was at the docks today."  
"Why would I know anything about the docks? Place has a strong fish smell, barely can go on for a few seconds before leaving the place."  
Hound knew that the boy was trying to be smart with him, so he tried another approach. "So, how was the trip to the marketplace?"  
"Are you kidding? That place was crowded with people. Didn't have enough time to get any oranges, many of us love 'em these days y'know?"  
Then, Hound noticed something in the boy's pocket and he knew that this one will tick him off. "I see, so I understand you're also on duty."  
The boy looked at Hound strangely. "What?"  
"If you know the police so much, you should've known when you're breaktime was already up and you should be out there helping out Scotland Yard."  
"Where do ya come with the idea that I'm the local law?"  
"He's right, Hound." said Watson. "A boy like him can't be old enough to be in law enforcement."  
"Well, there is one possible reason, and I'm staring at it right now."  
"What?" The boy looked at Hound thinking he was crazy. "What are you talking about?"  
"I'm talking about that star?"  
At that moment, the boy was frozen stiff. "Star? What star?"  
"The one in your pocket. You can't be in law enforcement without a star."  
It took a few minutes, but the boy finally let out a deep sigh. "Well, you got me there."  
And with that, he took the police badge star out of his pocket.

This shocked Watson greatly. "I-I don't believe it. Hound! How did you know it was him?"  
Other than seeing the outline of a star in his pocket, he was his own witness."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, it turns out that there was only one person who saw the boy because he, the policeman, the sailor, and the clerk were all the same person."  
"How is that so?"  
"I'll explain it." said the boy. As he rose up, Hound noticed a ring on his left finger with a symbol of a carnation on it. "You see.... I really, really love to play like I'm someone else. Sometimes, I want to dig deep into a person with either a low or high position and see if I'll live the same way as them. And it has gone well so far."  
But Watson started to protest. "Well, you do realize that others have been hurt because of your little game."  
"I didn't say I did it to everyone, I just did it to the cops. Like I said before, after all the trouble that they caused while trying to assist the good people of London, I don't think it's worth trusting them anymore."  
"Say," began Hound. "Are you a McAllister?"  
"Huh, you probably noticed my family crest on my ring, but yes, I am. My name's Anthony."  
Watson looked shocked. "But, if you're part of one of the most well-known aristocratic families in London, why do you hang out here if you know you'll become a mess?"  
"Well, the mansion is great, nothing wrong with it. I mean, you could easily enjoy a life of luxury of privilege, but... I always wonder what's happening outside the mansion. How are the people living even if they're a lower class, know what I mean?"  
"Yes, I could see that."  
Hound then continued. "So, in order for you to fit in with the crowd, you need to act and dress up like them?"  
"That's right, Mr. Hound. And they don't know that I'm an aristo, know why?"  
The two looked at each other. "Uh, no. Why?" asked Watson.  
Anthony started to twirl his first index fingers in the air and chanted, "Because I'm just a master of disguise, because I'm just a master of disguise, because I'm just...." He stopped right away when Hound konked him on the head. "Thanks, I needed that."  
"You're welcome." Hound started to ruffle his hand in his pocket to get another card.  
"I say, you do have a pretty good talent. So, how would you like it if you can get an early job and work with us?"  
"Well," Anthony felt a little unsure. "It depends, I need to have my parents' permission."  
"But, of course. You always need to let them know about something before you do it."  
With that, he gave the boy the card. "Just let us know alright?"  
"Thanks, Mr. Hound." As the crime-solving duo left, Anthony began to have thoughts about using his special talent and join one of the greatest minds in London.


	8. Meet the Recruits

11:00 a.m.  
Nearly an hour has passed since Sherlock Hound and Dr. Watson ran into the four boys whom Hound thinks can help them with the new crime wave. Everything was peaceful in the house on Baker Street except Hound playing his violin. Watson was resting his head on his left hand  
and lets out a deep sigh.  
"It's hopeless, Hound. I don't think any of the boys seemed interested in joining us."  
"Be patient, my dear Watson." said Hound. "They might show up in another hour or two."  
"Yes, yes, I know. But, was it really worth it? I mean sure, the boys have talent, but leave detective work to a bunch of young kids? It's dangerous!"  
"Yes, it IS dangerous, Watson. But, I bet the young ones have faced other dangers before this, so I guess the new crimes happening around London won't be any different."  
"I'd hate to say it, but I guess you're right about that. Still, I'm worried about those boys..." Suddenly unknown to them, there was a knock on the door.  
Marie Hudson began to head down the hall to open it. "Now who could that be at this hour?" Once she opened it, she was surprised to see who it was.  
Meanwhile back upstairs, Watson resumed his doubting. "Well, if the boys really DO come over to assist us, how will they know which case is right for them?"  
And Hound answered, "Well, once we get our report from Scotland Yard on what's happening right now, we'll be able to arrange the briefing of each case and their objectives. How hard can that be?"  
Back downstairs, a flabberghasted Marie Hudson stood at the door for a few minutes before speaking. "Sooo, can I help you gentlemen?"  
"Yes, dear maiden." said one of the men. "We come to see Mr. Sherlock Hound."  
"Fear not, Mrs. Hudson." said Hound coming down the stairs. "I know them."  
The housekeeper looked quite shocked. "You do?"  
"Indeed." The detective went to the door and saw a police officer with two other familiar faces. "Now Mrs. Hudson, let me introduce to you our new recruits...." He showed his hand to the paperboy first. "Mr. Oswald Fields, Expert of Science and Illusion." He then showed to the caretaker. "Mr. Leopold Hutchins, Master Technician." Then the officer took off his outfit and smiled at Hound. " And Mr. Anthony McAllister, Master of Disguise."  
"Good to meet you, Mrs. Hudson." said Anthony.  
"It's a real pleasure." added Ozzy.  
"So, Mr. Hound, I guess this's the place." said Leo.  
"That's right, my dear friends." Hound said. "And not a moment too soon.... But, where's the other boy?"  
"You mean, Finley?" asked Anthony. "Oh, he's on his way. His hat blew off again."  
"Well, it's really nice to meet you all." said Mrs. Hudson. "Please come in."

The boys had obvious appreciation of the interior decor of Hound's own home. Everything looked nice and clean, even the books are all nicely sorted by alphabetical order, color, and size.  
"May it be permissable to look at one?" asked Ozzy.  
"Be my guest." replied Mrs. Hudson, unaware of what he might do. And right before her eyes, Ozzy began to move his fingers around and said his choice out loud.  
"Maybe one that is fictional." Suddenly, the books that the boy can be referring to began to shake, which surprised Marie Hudson quite much. They continued to move as Ozzy continued. "Filled with drama, suspense, and a little romance." Some books were still shaking, while others just stopped. "And finally, it should be related to history and a hint of disguise." Finally, the book that Ozzy was looking for slowly came out of its place and levitated to him. Ozzy then grabbed it and read the title, "The Scarlet Pimpernel."  
"That...that was amazing." commented Marie who was aghast. "How on Earth did you do  
that?"  
"That, my dear, is a secret. And I must follow the Magician's Code of ner revealing ANY secrets to anyone."  
"I see." And with that, she left both him and Anthony reading the book. Soon, she came across Leo who was in the kitchen cleaning.

"Oh! Hello, Mrs. Hudson. I thought I might help you around a bit."  
"Well, that's very nice of you, Leopold." But then she began to put her finger under her lip. "By the way, are you really a good inventor like Hound said?"  
"Well yes, yes I am. See this mop I have here?"  
"Yes, is that one of your inventions?"  
"Sure is, Mrs. Hudson. Watch." Just like before, he swept the floor of any possible signs of dirt, lifted up the mop, and then twisted it so the dirty water can go in the bucket.  
"I say! That is good."  
"Thanks. If there's anything you need, just let me know, alright?"  
"You got it."

While the boys were still checking out the place, Watson said, "I sure hope that other boy comes soon. Or else we might not have anyone else who can remember such numerous things."  
"Oh, I'm sure he'll come around soon." said Hound. "It won't take that long to get back your hat." At that moment, there was another knock on the door. "And I can guess that'll be him."  
"I will get it." volunteered Marie. She went to the door and opened it to see a poor young boy standing in front of her. At that moment, they both stood still, staring strangely at each other. But after a long pause, a blushing Marie finally spoke. "Uhhh, hi."  
The boy also blushed then spoke back. "Hi... Is this the home of Sherlock Hound."  
"W-Why...yes. Yes, it is. And you are?"  
"Finley Boyle, madam. Skilled reader and memory man."  
"Well, I'm Marie Hudson, his housekeeper. You look a little tired after that walk, how hard was it to...."  
"Mrs. Hudson!" called out Hound from upstairs. His voice broke the trance and both Marie and Finley shook their heads to regain consciousness. "Is our scholar here?"  
"Yes, Mr. Hound! He is." She turned back to the boy. "Come on in, Finley. You might catch a cold."  
"Thank you, Mrs. Hudson." Finley said.  
"You can call me Marie if you want."  
"OK, Marie it is." With that, they closed the door behind them, trying to figure out what just happened back there.

"Hey, Finley!" greeted Leo coming back from the kitchen.  
"Glad to see you made it!" said Ozzy putting down his book.  
"We were getting pretty worried about you." added Anthony coming over to shake his hand.  
Hound and Watson both came back down to see their young friends. Hound was the first to speak, "Well, it is nice to see everyone is here safe and sound. A little later, we will all go to Scotland Yard Headquarters and see what you guys can do."  
"Does anyone want any ham and cheese sandwiches?" called Marie from the newly cleaned kitchen. And immediately the boys went carefully inside to have their snack.  
"Don't worry, Mr. Hound." said Finley. "We'll be ready before you know it."  
Hound chuckled a little and said, "I'm sure you will, my dear boy."


	9. Case Brieifings

Scotland Yard HQ  
11:15 a.m.  
Sherlock Hound, Doctor Watson, and the four boys all headed to Inspector Lestrade's office to get their case briefings.  
By the sound of the door opening, Lestrade saw the six coming in. "Oh, Hound! Good to see you! We have never been able to figure out anything from the four crimes that we were assigned to investigate. Hopefully, you found those new recruits."  
"I have, my dear Lestrade." said Hound smiling through his pipe. "And I could see I got here just in time in this hour of need."  
"Oh, wonderful! Where are they?"  
Sherlock Hound showed his hand to the four boys. "They're right here."  
Lestrade stared at them with a face full of shock. "Y-You mean...THESE four?"  
Hound was still smiling. "Yes, I found them and they are willing to help out."  
"B-B-But, but!"  
Hound quickly grabbed the four case files from Lestrade's desk. "I'm so glad you are eager to get a little help, so I'll help with their briefings." Lestrade was still flabbergasted as Hound turned to the boys. "Alright boys, this is your chance to prove that you are eligible enough to help stop this new crime wave. Each of you will receive a case file that will explain the situation in a certain place. All you need to do is look at the istructions I have put in each of them, and you'll be off on your own interviewing suspects and searching for clues. So without further ado, let's get to the details on each of the cases." One by one he handed each boy a different case file. He started with Ozzy.

"Ozzy, there is a little toy shop about two blocks from here. Witnesses say there is a mysterious white jester who keeps on making such a ruckus every single night and later heads back into the toy shop. I will put you in there as a toy entertainer, and while you're at it, you must investigate the building and figure out who the jester is and what's his or her motive."  
"Can't get any simpler than that." said Ozzy. "I'll do it."  
Next, Hound turned to Leo. "Leo, the London Gazette needs your help, not just on some repairs for their printing presses no, but on tracking down a mastermind. The workers there say that on their calendars mark specific dates on when a crime is going to occur and surprisingly it was right. But while the reporters are out there, the same person is causing havoc inside the building. Now, the gazette is about to go out of business and we need you to go inside and figure out what's going on."  
"Sounds challenging." said Leo. "But, I'll do it."  
Then, Hound turned to Finley. "For you, Finley, there have been strange happenings at certain aristocratic mansions and ballrooms. You see, everyone was having a good time at night, but suddenly, they start to fall asleep, even the butlers. Then when they wake up, they soon find out that half of their money they had with them was missing! A few officers tried to keep a sharp lookout, but they all fell asleep too and failed the job. Your job is to report to the center of social life in London and find out what is causing all of this mayhem."  
"Hmmm, I've always wanted to see the life of the English Aristocracy." said Finley. "I'll take it."  
Finally, Hound turned to Anthony. "And as for you, Anthony, the art world needs your crafty disguising to solve this one. Recently, there had been reported sightings of a mysterious vandal who has been ruining old masterpieces back in Paris. But now as we feared, he has come all this way here to London, and even more great works of art have been vandalized. Your objective:  
head to the hotel about 2 blocks from here and you'll find further instructions on what to do next because I have a good idea where the vandal's going to strike next."  
"I've always had an interest to visit Paris one day." said Anthony. "But, playing a role as a French in London shouldn't be a problem."

Once the boys had their case files, Hound stood before them and said, "Alright, boys, you're jobs are clear and you have at least till the end of the week to solve these cases. Remember, always ask questions and don't begin your accusations unless you know for sure. Are we clear?"  
"Yes, sir." said the boys at the same time.  
"We won't let you down." said Leo before he and the other turned to leave. Both Hound and Watson smiled knowing that they'll be okay. But then, Lestrade leaped from his chair and ran to them.  
"B-But, Hound! These are children! What can they do?"  
"We shall see, my dear Lestrade." said Hound puffing up his pipe. "We shall see...."

(This may be the end of the prologue, but the real fun is about to begin.)


End file.
